It was appalling.
When Kane rolled his eyes, Julian couldn’t help but smile. At least he wasn’t stuck doing this shitty part of the job alone.
Misery loved company.
“Hey, Fredrick, how’s your cousin?” Julian asked, allowing for an older nurse to gratefully shuffle the younger one away. There was his first good deed of the day.
The man turned at the calling of his name. At first there was a smile, and then when he saw who wanted his attention, it was gone.
“She’s in surgery, getting her arm fixed. Other than that, she’s going to stay here overnight, and then home tomorrow.”
“That’s great,” said Kane.
“What are you all doing here?”
Now, it was time to do the ‘bullshit tap dance’, but before Julian could say anything, Richard Curry stepped in and started running his mouth.
“Someone is trying to kill your family! You can’t be alone right now.”
Kane gave him a look. It must have been understood, since the man promptly zipped his lips, saying nothing say more.
Fredrick started laughing. “Please. My uncle was probably hit over the head by the competition. The derby is damn serious down here, and Lorelei’s saddle straps broke. Stop trying to make this some conspiracy theorist’s field day.”
“We’ll bring you home,” stated Julian. Okay, so far so good. All he needed to do was get the man into the car and back to the estate.
“I’m not going home,” he admitted, grinning. “I’m heading to the cigar bar. If you five would like to join me, you can. The doctor told me that when Lorelei’s surgery is done, she’ll be out of it. There’s no point hanging out here.”
“You should head back to the house,” Kane tried. “You know, to help run the place.”
Why not go with family obligations?
That might work.
He only started laughing. “Hell no! Jamie can run that place with her eyes closed. Besides, I need some relaxation and the cigar bar is the best place to get it,” he added, laughing manically.
Julian didn't like the sound of that at all.
This didn't bode well.
If he and Kane put intelligence over duty, they’d both be running for their lives.
“If you’re all hell bent on keeping me company, the least I can do is be a gracious host and buy you all a drink and cigar.” With that, he began walking out the door.
What choice did Julian have?
“Come on,” he said to Kane.
Following the man out, his partner in this assignment looked wary.
“We’ll watch him smoke, then get him home. Everything will be fine,” he reassured.
Kane wasn’t feeling it. “I don’t know, Julian. This feels way off to me.”
Yeah, him too, but what choice did they have?
This was their damn job.
The line was definitely crossed.
Why should he be surprised?
Oh, they went to a cigar bar, all right. Only, what Fredrick didn't tell the rest of them was that it was located in the center of a gentlemen’s club.
He was an idiot for not seeing this one coming.
Now, not only did he have to get Fredrick the letch home, but he was going to have to explain to his wife why his shirt was coated in a sheen of cigar smoke, booze, and body glitter.
If one more woman tried to rub against him, Julian was walking out the door.
From the look on Kane’s horrified face, they both knew the truth.
They were dead men.
Yeah, he’d been to strip clubs. Once when he was working for the FBI, and it was really just to watch his girl undercover. He would have had to have been brain dead to turn that assignment down.
Tori dressed in stripper gear was spectacular. The tiny little military garb that she wore had gotten him through many a lonely night when they weren’t together.
MANY.
Now, he was just irritated.
As they sat at the large table, it became clear that Fredrick spent a lot of time there. When every scantily clad woman knew your name, asking if you wanted another private dance, the chances were that you were one of their VIPs.
Yeah, very interested pervert.
When Kane leaned over, he whispered in Julian’s ear. “I’m never getting married. Chrissy is going to find out about this and dump my ass. I’m screwed.”
Julian was looking down the barrel of divorce himself.
He felt Kane’s pain.
“You both are too uptight,” stated Fredrick, waving over two girls. When he pointed at the two Native men, the ladies plopped down in their laps.
Kane nearly had a stroke, pushing the woman off his body. “Uh, no thank you,” he stated hastily. “I’m happily married and want to stay that way.”
Larson West was already on his third bourbon, and was chatting up a storm with the woman perched in his lap. Apparently, he wasn’t worried about getting his ass handed to him by his wife.
Even the older man, Richard Curry, was having fun with it. “You can call me Dick,” he teased some overdone blonde. When she whispered in his ear, he chuckled.
Julian tried his best to extricate himself from the woman who was clinging to his body. Finally, he managed to get rid of her, after she proceeded to rub her barely clad body all over his, leaving some hot pink glitter.
Today was a really bad day to wear white.
Fredrick was laughing. “Boys, you’re safe in here. Your wives won’t know a thing.”
Julian wasn’t having it. “I’m married, and that means something to me.”
Kane was right behind him on that. If he screwed this up, he was going to lose the only woman he ever loved. “My wife’s pregnant, and I’m not willing to ruin up my marriage for an indiscretion with some dancers.”
When some woman with multicolored hair led Lawson away, both men were praying to get out of there. As the cigar girl came around, leaning over and showing off her assets and the cigars in the box, Julian took one. He was already three days past screwed. He went into a strip club and had some strange woman plop into his lap to grind against parts of him reserved for his babe, so he might as well have the divorce trifecta and smoke.
Maybe it would kill him before his wife could.
He could always hope…
Kane grabbed one next. They prepped their own cigars and sent the girl on her way.
When a raven haired woman came over and held out her hand, Fredrick was up and out of his seat. “I’ll be right back, gentlemen. How about we play a little game of pool afterwards?” he said, pointing toward the billiard table.
That was the safest place in the joint, and Kane and Julian were glad to make a break for it. They would have tried to save the other married men, but Richard Curry was playing ‘grope the girl’ and Stephen Snyder was also enjoying the goods. He currently had a handful of some brunette’s ass.
Heading to the table, Julian could see the panic on Kane’s face. “It’ll be okay. If we’re lucky, we can head back to the house, shower and pretend this nightmare never happened.”
“I can’t believe that I’m in a strip club, and the pregnant woman, who I’m going to marry, isn’t aware of it.”
Julian pulled out his phone and figured the man had a point. This one definitely deserved a text. Banging one out, he placed it back in his pocket. “Okay, we told them, so we’re technically not eligible for neutering.”
The man swallowed. “You told them?”
He nodded. “It’s not like they’ll be surprised. We’re tailing Fredrick. Of course he hangs out in this kind of place.” Yeah, he was reaching when it came to rationalizing, but it was the only way he wouldn’t lose his damn mind.
“Let’s just play some pool while we wait for Casanova to finish with his lap dance.”
Somehow, Kane was pretty sure that wasn’t what the man was getting in the back room. In fact, he’d bet money on it.
They were just about to start playing when St
ephen Snyder wandered over alone.
“I see you got free,” stated Julian, taking his shot.
The man nodded. “Yeah, I’m not into strippers, but sometimes you have to keep your cover.”
Julian wasn’t having it. There was no way he would ever pretend that he was into a woman just to work a case. That was a slippery slope that he had no intent on falling down. What was next? Doing drugs to play undercover junkie?
Yeah, no thank you.
“So, how’s the search for the book coming?” Stephen asked them, making sure no one was around to listen.
At first, Julian didn't answer, but then it seemed obvious that Kane and Christina had been made. Stephen Snyder was just waiting for him to pretend and deny it, and then he would pounce.
The gig was up.
Kane didn't like the man. He seemed like a snake that would turn on you at any second.
“We found it. Our work is just about done. We’re just riding out the rest of the derby week. My wife loves horses and I promised that we could experience this once in our lives.”
Yeah, this was never happening again. This adventure left a nasty taste in his mouth.
“How about you and Katy?”
“We’ve just about handled everything. It hasn’t been easy keeping up with Fredrick. The man is out of control.”
Case in point was surrounding them.
There wasn’t a court in the world that wouldn’t see him as a sex crazed lunatic.
Stephen continued, “It seems that Fredrick has been getting women delivered to him at the house. We watched him the one night and saw the chef bringing the ladies in the back door. He escorts them up, gets some cash, and then hustles away.”
“Why is he being secretive?” Julian asked. “He’s single and it’s his home too.”
“One person stands between him and full on debauchery. Lorelei is hell bent on stopping it. She’s trying to keep him from sullying the family name further. While they’ll tolerate some of his nonsense, she won’t put up with him buying prostitutes.”
Then, Julian got it. “Your client is a hooker!”
He started laughing. “Escort is the technical term. I’m trying to get the proof that he’s a serial woman abuser. He hasn’t exactly been making it hard. My client will have enough to take him to court and win a big settlement.”
That told both of the men everything that they needed to know about Stephen Snyder. He was taking cases from disgruntled prostitutes for big payouts.
Awesome.
Before they could say more, Kane warned his boss. “Heads up,” he muttered, taking his shot.
As Fredrick strolled over, he was tucking his shirt back into his pants and grinning. “Mindy is in the back, does anyone need their cigar stoked?”
Oh, hell, no!
Julian was ready to go. “I’m out of here,” he said, just as his cell chimed. Pulling it from his pocket, he read the message.
‘You’re funny. I love you and thank you for the laugh.’
Yep, he was dead. Where he should have warned Kane, he opted to let the man have his last few moments of peace before the firing squad.
Fredrick picked up a stick and chalked the tip. “Before you go, how about we play for money? I love to live hard and fast.” When he pointed at Stephen Snyder, and then a stick, the man got the message. “Two teams. Are you Indians good at gambling like everyone says?” he asked derogatorily.
Kane tensed and Julian let it roll right off his back. Before, he was going to leave and get the hell out of there. Now, he was going to prove a point. “No, we suck at it.”
Fredrick got a feral look in his eyes. “Even better. By the way, you two have some sexy babes. I like the redhead. She’s a ball of fire. I bet she’s hot in the sack.”
Kane really thought his boss was going to go shit nuts and lose it, but he was surprised when he stayed calm.
Today was just a weird day.
Julian racked the balls. Maybe this wouldn’t be a lost afternoon after all. It appeared he was going to spend some time schooling a dickwad. “Yeah, I’m well aware my wife is sexy. Thanks for pointing out the obvious.”
“Want to tell me all about it?” Fredrick teased, wiggling his eyebrows.
Now, there would be no mercy. Offering Kane a fist bump, they got ready.
“Yeah, my sex life is none of your business. Unlike you, I don’t like to dip my stick in the community pool where hundreds of other men swim. Now, put your money where your mouth is, Fredrick.”
He pulled out his wallet and dropped cash on the table. “I’m ready,” he said, when everyone else did the same.
“Then, let’s play.”
* * *
As they pulled up to the lab, Tori’s phone chimed. When she pulled it out, she read the message and started laughing.
“What?” Christina asked, curiously. The entire way there, they talked about lots of things, and it was really pleasant girl time.
“Julian sent me a text. He’s funny.”
Handing the phone over, she shared it with Christina.
‘Followed Fredrick into a gentlemen’s club. They have
nothing on my soldier stripper babe. I love you.’
Christina started laughing too, and then stopped fast. “Wait, do you think he’s serious?” she asked, hoping it was a joke.
“Well, since they’re following a pervert, they probably are. I know that right about now, Julian is having a freak out. So, it’s well worth it.”
“I don’t know how I feel about Kane in a strip club, especially since he didn't send me a text.”
Tori began laughing. “You’re not married yet. He’s probably afraid you’ll dump him.”
“Oh, my poor Kane-ykins. I wouldn’t do that! He’s just working.”
The use of his nickname made Tori snicker. “I’m not saying that I won’t torment Julian with this, but I trust my husband. If you can’t trust your partner, then you shouldn’t be with him.”
She had a very valid point. “I trust him completely.” Absently, she rubbed her hand over her stomach.
“How’s the morning sickness?” Tori asked, trying not to feel nauseous herself.
“It’s tons better with sour things.” Christina could hear the remorse in her voice, so she went for it. “You’ll get pregnant, Tori. Just hang in there. I know it has to be hard when you want a baby so bad.”
“We just found out that Vivian’s pregnant, too,” she gushed, letting the news flood out of her in a painful rush.
Ouch.
Christina wanted to offer any support she could. “Oh, Tori, I’m so sorry.”
She shook her head, trying to regroup. “It’s okay.”
“Want to talk about it?”
It wasn’t easy to share her feelings. In this world, there were only a few people who she completely trusted. Elizabeth Blackhawk had been her only girlfriend. When Justin married Vivian, she got another sister by proxy. Now, she opted to trust Christina. “I’m afraid that it’s me. What if I’m broken?”
She took her hand and let her get it off her chest.
“Julian wants kids in the worst way, and we have enough sex that I should have gotten pregnant. I just don’t know why I’m not. Now that Justin has managed to create a baby with Vivian, it has to be me.”
“Sometimes, these things take months.”
She wiped her eyes with her free hand. “That’s what everyone keeps telling me, but we’ll be married a year soon, and I’m still not having his child. I think I’m defective.”
“Stop it! You’re not. Give your body a break. Making a baby is miraculous and happens when it’s meant to be. You’re still young, incredibly healthy, and fit. You’ll get there.”
“And if I don’t?” she asked sniffling.
“See, that’s your problem. You’re being negative. You have to stop putting that mojo out there. You’re going to get pregnant and soon. If you believe it, then your ovaries will too.”
Her mood lightened.
<
br /> “Seriously. I played in dead bodies all day. I knew that I had to be positive, or I would lose my mind. I knew I was going to get some sexy Native man. Only, I swore it was Ethan Blackhawk. I just had to get rid of Elizabeth first,” she teased.
Tori snickered, giving her a fist bump. “You’re lucky Lyzee doesn’t have our car bugged. She’d skin you and dance naked around your body.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just lucky like that,” Christina said. “When you do get pregnant, it’ll be the best day of your life and, you’ll never look back at this with sadness anymore. Be positive, Tori, and you’ll find your way. You’re not lost and broken. Fate is just late to arrive to the party and when it does, you’ll see what the big picture has planned.”
She hugged Christina. “Thank you for that,” she said. “I feel better.”
“I’m glad. Now, can we stop for some more candy on the way back to the estate? I’m almost out of lemon drops, and they’re my lifeline.”
“Sure thing, partner.”
“I love my job.”
Tori grinned. “I do too.”
* * *
Hesser House
When he arrived there to interview Bruce Smithe, he found the man in the dining room setting up for dinner. He was polishing silver and happily humming a tune.
“Excuse me. I need to ask you a few questions, Mr. Smithe.”
The man turned and pulled off the white gloves that he was using to handle the expensive silver. “Certainly, sir. What can I do for you?”
“We had someone use you as an alibi of sorts. I need you to corroborate the information that he gave us.”
The man pointed to the table. “Would you like some coffee?” he offered.
Why the hell not? He could definitely use some. “Yes, thank you.” He waited until after the man poured, before taking a seat.
Lost & Broken (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 2) Page 32
